Movable eyes for dolls



Nov. 1, 1932.

D. ZAIDEN 1,885,573

MOVABLE EYES FOR DOLLS Filed Feb. 23, 1932 Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID ZAIDEN, on BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIeNon on onn-rounrn T Isaac KAUFMAN, ONE-FOURTH T0 SAMUEL KAUFMAN, Bonner roansr HILLs, NEW YORK, AND onnroun'rn T0 moon KAUFMAN, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK MOVABLE EYES non noLLs' Application filed February 23,1932. Serial No. 594,437.

This invention relates to improvements in movable eyes for doll heads, and to a novel supporting structure therefor. 1

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a yieldable support for eye elements which will resiliently press the latter toward and into operative relation to the eye socket openings of a doll head,

means being provided for adj ustably r'egulating the normal eye-positioning disposition of the support. I

The invention has for a further object to provide means vertically adjustable in connection with the main support for adjusting so as to obtain symmetrical appearance of the pupils and irises of the eye-balls as exposed through the eye sockets of the doll head. The invention has for more specific objects, the simplification and detail improvement of the Various elements which together make up a complete adjustable movable eye set for doll heads.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be 7 understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in' the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a rear-face view of the novel mov-' able eye set as operatively mounted within a doll head,the' latter being shown in transverse vertical section; Fig. 2 is a central 1on gitudinal vertical section, taken on line 22 i in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4; is a front face of assembled eye-ball andeyelid elements according to this invention; Fig.

5 is a front view of the eye-ball element, "T showing one method and means of attaching eye-lash strips thereto; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section, taken on line 66 in Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken on line 77 in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are em ployed in the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character 10 indicates a doll head of hollow construction having a bottom opening 11 at the neck portion. Formed in the head 10' are the usual eye socket openings 12.- Also in molding the doll head an internal boss 13 is provided, the same being preferably locat-- ed at approximately the position of the chin portion of the head.

The novel eye set, according to this invention, comprises an anchor plate 14:, having laterally spaced side pieces or wings 15 extending from its vertical margins at right angles to the plane thereof, all so proportioned and arranged that said side pieces or wings 15 straddle and embrace the sides of said boss 13. The anchor plate lt may be i mmovably aflixed to said boss 13 by providing sharpened prongs 16, arranged to be struck out of the respective side pieces or wings 15, so that the same may be turned and driven inwardly into the body of said boss 13. Either in lieu' of said prongs 16, or in addition thereto, the anchor plate 14: may be provided with an opening or perforation 17 through which a fastening screw (not shown) may be, passed to screw into the boss and thus aflix the anchor plate thereto. Extending upwardly from and in the plane of the side pieces or wings 15 are perforate hearing ears 18, in connection with which are also formed lugs 19 adjacent the forward margins thereof, said lugs being turned inwardly onetoward the other whereby to provide.

stop means for purposes presently to appear. The reference character 20 indicates an upright carrier-plate, preferably "formed of stamped sheet metal, and provided at its lower end with laterally spaced fulcrum ears 21 extending from its vertical margins at right angles to the plane thereof. The spacing of said fulcrum ears 21 is such that the same easily fit between and respectively abut the j tions of said carrier plate.

bearing ears 18 of the anchor plate structure. Extending through the assembled bearing ears 18 and fulcrum ears 21 is a pivot pin 22, whereby the carrier plate is pivotally connected with the anchor plate structure. A spring 23 is mounted upon and around said pivot pin 22, one arm 24 of said spring pressingly bearing against the back of said carrier-plate, and the other arm 25 being purchased against the upper edge of said anchor plate 14, thus utilizing the tension of the spring to yieldingly swing the carrierplate and parts carried thereby forwardly toward the front wall of the doll head. To adjustably limit the forward movement of said carrier-plate 20 under the urge of the spring an adjustable stop-screw 26 is threaded through an upright lug 27 extending upwardly from the upper end of said anchor plate, whereby the lower end of said carrierplate, at a point below the pivotal mounting thereof, may bear against said stop-screw so as to arrest the forward swinging movement of its upper end. Since the eye elements are supported from the carrier-plate, in a manner to be subsequently described, it will be obvious that the eye elements may be arrested by the adjusted stopped position of the carrier-plate, so as to avoid undue frictional contact thereof with the margins of the eyesocket openings 12 which might tend to impede the free and easy movement of said eye elements relative to said eye-socket openings. In order to limit the rearwardswinging movement of said carrier-plate 20 and the eye-elements supported therefrom, said fulcrum ears 21 are provided with extensions 28jwhich overhang the upper edge of the anchor plate 14, so as to stop thereagainst when rear-ward swinging movement of the carrier-plate occurs.

slidably adjustable upon said upright carrier-plate 20 is a slide-plate 29, having lugs 30 turned around the vertical marginal por- At its upper end, and respectively springing from each side thereof, are bearing members 31, preferably of the forwardly open hookshape shown, and extending upwardly from the slide-plate 29, and in the plane thereof, is keeper lug 32 which is opposed to the forward open sides of said bearing members. said slide-plate onto the free end portion of said'carrier-plate, a cross arm 33 is passed down behind'the keeper lug 32 onto the hearing members 31, and thereupon pressed back into the bearing loops formed by the latter. After the cross arm 33 is thus assembled, the slide-plate is slid over and downwardly upon the carrier-plate, whereby the cross arm 33 thereafter retained against displacement from the bearing members 31. Secured to the central portion of said cross-arm, by

solder or any other suitable means of oinmg one to the other, is a depending pendulum Before sliding cross arm and the weight, said pendulum lever is provided with oppositely extending transverse actuator arms 38 suitably secured thereto, by solder or other mechanical fastenmg means.

Journaled upon each end of said cross arm "33 is a hollow spherical sector forming an eye-lid element 39, and having integral therewith and downwardly extending from the inner end thereof a lever arm 40 provided with a bifurcate end 41 to straddle and 0peratively engage a corresponding actuator arm 38. To position each eye-lid element 39 in laterally adjusted position on the cros arm, and so as to laterally dispose the same in operative relation to an adjacent eye-socket opening 12 of the doll head 10, a sleeve 42 is slidably engaged over and upon each cross arm end. so as to be adjustable therein, and so as to pass through the outer end of said eye-lid element 39, said sleeve having a stop flange 43 at its outer end. The said sleeves may be adjusted along the cross arms in either direction and thus may be utilized to stop the eye-lid elements thereon in required laterally spaced relation, according to the spacing of the eye-socket openings in the doll head. Adjustably connected with each eyelid element is an eye-ball element 44. Each eye-ball element preferably comprises a hollow semi-spherical shell, the outer surface of which depicts the pupil'and iris characteristic of the natural eye appearance; this shell is usually made of celluloid, glass or the like, but may be made of other materials, such as sheet metal upon which the pupil and iris may be painted, printed or otherwise produced. The eye-ball element 44 is assembled with the eye-lid element 39, by seating the upper portion of the former within the latter. The upper rearward margin of said eye-lid element 39 is provided with a plurality of retaining lugs 45, which are bent around the upper margin of the eye-ball element 44 so as to grip the same, and thus retain it in operative assembled relation to the eye-lid element. The character of the retaining lugs 45 is such that rotative shifting of the eye-ball element relative to the eye-lid element is possible, so that the former may be adjusted to symmetrically position the displayed pupil and iris in such manner to properly center the same in the eye-socket openings 12 as well as in proper alignment one with another making up the pair thereof. The frictional grip of the retaining lugs 45 is sufficient to hold the eye-ball elements both in desired position and mechanically at' tached with the eye-lid elements so as to move therewithupon actuation of the latter,

Connected to the under side of each eyelid element-39 is the body strip 46 of an eye-lash fringe 47 which is adapted to border the forward edge of each eye-lid element to overlie the eye-ball element assembled therewith, verymuch in the manner heretofore disclosed in my prior United States Patent #1,294,592, of February 18, 1919. Such isth'e preferred way ofattaching the eyelash elements to the eyes. As analternative to this method of attachment, however, the body strip 46 of the eye-lash element may be secured to the eye-ball element 44, in the manner shown more especially in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing. For this latter method of attachment, the eye-ball element 44 is provided with laterally spaced attachment lugs 48 which are struck out of the body of the eye-ball element. These lugs 48 are initially bent outwardly to leave openings through which the ends of the body strip 46 may be inserted, so thatthe latter overlies the outer surface of the eye-ball element at points to be covered by the forward marginal portions of the eyelid element. When the body strip 46 is thus disposed,the lugs 48 are pressed back into the plane of the eye-ball element, thereby firmly anchoring the ends of the eyelash strip, so that said strip is retained against displacement. When the eye-ball. element, having the eye-lash element so applied there to, is assembled with an eye-lid element, the

latter will cover the body strip 46, but the eye-lash fringe will be exposed along the forward margin of the eye-lid element.

When the movable eye-set is mounted-within a doll-head by-attaching the anchor-plate 14 to the boss 13, the slide-plate 29 is vertically adjusted on the carrier-plate 20, and its lugs 30 squeezed tight to frictionally bind the one to the other at a height calculated to dispose the eye elements to engage the eyesoclret openings 12 of the doll head, and each eye-element is also laterally adjusted on the cross-arm 33 to center it relative to the particular eye-socket opening 12 withwhich it is to cooperate. The adjustable stop-screw 26 is then set to the position adapted to operatively relate the eye-elements to the eyesocket openings, so that the former will move relative to the latter without undue friction. With the eye set arranged as described,

the operation thereof will be controlled by the weighted pendulum lever34, whereby as the latter swings rearwardly, which will occur when moving the doll head from a vertical or upright position toward a horizontal or reclining position, the actuator arms 38 will transmit, through the lever arms 40, rotative movement to the eyelid and eyeball elements about the cross arm 33 as an axis,

thus causing the eye-lid elements to move of the doll-head in closed relation thereto.

As many changes could be made in the above-described constructions, and many apparently different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof,'it is intended that all matter contained in'the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

. I claim 1. Movable eyes for dolls, comprising an anchor means fixed within a doll head having eye-socket openings and at a point below the horizontal plane of said openings, an upwardly extending carrier plate pivotally supported by said anchor means, spring means for yieldably pressing said carrier plate forwardly toward the plane of said eye-socket openings, an adjustable stopmeans to limit the forward movement of said carrier plate, fixed stop means. for limiting the rearward movement of said carrier plate, a slide plate adjustable on said carrier plate, a cross arm carried by said slide plate, eye elements pivoted on said cross arm, a weighted pendulum lever fulcrumedbysaidcross arm, and cooperating means in connection with said pendulum lever and eye-elements whereby the latter are actuated.

2. Movable eyes for dolls, comprising an anchor means fixed within a doll head having eye-socket openings and at a point below the horizontal plane of said openings, anupwardly extending carrier plate pivotally supportedby said anchor means, spring means for yieldably pressing said carrier plate forwardly toward the plane of said eye-socket openings, an adjustable stop-means to limit the forward'movement of said carrier plate, fixed stop means for limiting the rearward movement of said carrier plate, a slide plate adjustable on said carrier plate, a cross arm carried by said slide plate, eye elements pivoted on said cross arm, a weighted pendulum lever fulcrumed by said cross arm, each eye element having a depending lever arm, and said pendulum lever having laterally extending actuator arms to respectively engage said eye element lever arms.

3. Movable eyes for dolls, comprising an anchor plate having side wings to embrace an interior boss provided in a doll-head below the horizontal plane of the eye-socket openings of the latter, means to afiix said anchor plate to said boss, said side wings having bearing ears projecting above said boss, an upwardly extending carrier plate having fulcrum ears at its lower end to engage between said bearing ears, a pivot pin extending through said bearing and fulcrum ears, a spring means about said pivot pin having its opposite ends respectively engaged with said plate to limit the forward movement of said :arrier plate, pendulum actuated eye elements, and means vertically adjustable on said carrier plate for supporting the latter.

4. Movable eyes for dolls, comprising an anchor plate having side wings to embrace an interior boss provided in a doll-head below the horizontal plane of the eye-socket openings of the latter, means to afiix said anchor plate to said boss, said side wings hav- 1 ing bearing ears projecting above said boss,

an upwardly ext-ending carrier plate having fulcrum ears at its lower end to engage between said bearing ears, a pivot pin extending through said bearing and fulcrum ears, a

s arin means about said ivot pin havin 10 i. 0

its opposite ends respectively engaged with said carrier plate and said anchor plate, stop lugs connected with said bearing ears to limit the rearward movement of said carrier plate,

an adjustable stop-screw carried by said anchor plate to limit the forward movement of said carrier plate, a slide plate adjustable on said carrier plate, a cross arm carried by said slide plate, eye elements pivoted on said cross arm, a weighted pendulum lever fulcrumed by said cross arm, and cooperating means in connection with said pendulum lever and eye elements whereby the latter are actuated.

5. Movable eyes for dolls, comprising an anchor plate having side wings to embrace an interior boss provided in a doll-head below the horizontal plane of the eye-socket openings of the latter, means to affix said anchor plate to said boss, said side wings having bearing ears projecting above said boss, an upwardly extending carrier plate having fulcrum ears atit-s lower end to engage between said bearing ears, a pivot pin extending through said bearing and fulcrum ears, a spring means about said pivot pin having its opposite ends respectively engaged with said carrier plate and said anchor plate, stop lugs connected with said bearing earsto limit the rearward movement of said carrier plate, an adjustable stop-screw carried by said anchor plate to limit the forward movement of said carrier plate, a slide plate adjustable on said carrier plate, a cross arm carried by said slide 7 plate, eye elements pivoted onsaid cross arm, a weighted pendulum lever fulcrumed by said cross-arm, each eye element having a depending lever arm, and said pendulum lever having laterally extending actuator arms to respectively engage said eye element lever arms.

6. Movable eyes for dolls, comprising a yieldable carrier plate mounted within a doll head with its free end portion extending upwardly between the eye socket openings thereof, a slide plate vertically adjustable on said carrier plate, bearing supports on said slide plate,va: cross arm carried by said bearing supports,.eye elements pivoted on said cross arm, positioning sleeves for said eye elements slidably adjustable on said cross arm, a weighted pendulum lever fulcrumed by said cross arm, andcooperating means in connection with said-pendulum lever and eye elements whereby the latter are actuated.

'7. In a movable eye structure for dolls, an eye-lid element in the form of a hollow spherical sector having a plurality of inturned retaining lugs at its upper rearward mar in, and a relatively movable hollow semi-spherical eye-ball element adjustably seated in said eye-lid element and retained in adjusted fixed relation thereto by said. retaining lugs.

8. In a movable eye structure for dolls, an eye-lid element in the form of a hollow spherical sector having a plurality of in-turned retaining lugs at its upper rearward margin, a relatively movable hollow semi-spherical eye-ball element adjustably seated in said ye-lid element and retained in adjusted fixed relation thereto by said retaining lugs, and eye-lash means comprising a body-strip having eye-lash fringe, said body-strip being secured intermediate the lower forward marginal portion of said eye-lid element and said eye-ball element.

9. In a movable eye structure for dolls, a yieldable carrier plate mounted within a doll head with its free end portion extending upwardly bet-ween the eye socket openings thereof, a slideplate vertically adj ustablc on said carrier plate, bearing supports on said slide plate, a cross arm carried by said bearing supports, eye-lid. elements in the form of hollow spherical sectors each having a plurality of iii-turned lugs at its upper rearward margin, hollow semi-spherical eye-ball elements respectively adjustably seated in said respective eye-lid elements and retained therein by said retaining lugs, said eye-lid elements having bearing openings to receive said cross arm whereby they are fulcrumed on the latter, a weighted pendulum lever fulcrumed by said cross arm, each eye-lid element having a depending lever arm, and said pendulum lever having laterally extending actuator arms to respectively engage said eye-lid element lever arms.

10. In a movable eye structure for dolls, ayieldable carrier plate mounted within a doll head withits free end portion extending upwardly between the eye socket openings thereof,-a slide-plate vertically adjustable on said carrier plate, bearing supports on said side plate, a cross arm carried by said bear in g supports, eye-lid elements in the form of hollow spherical sectors each having a plurality of in-turned lugs at its upper rearward margin, hollow semi-spherical eye-ball clements respectively adjustably seated in said respective eye-lid elements and retained therein by said retaining lugs, eye-lash means comprising a body-strip having eye-lash fringe, said body-strip being secured intermediate the lower forward marginal portion of said eye-lid element and said eye-ball element, said eye-lid elements having bearing openings to receive said cross arm whereby they are fulorumed on the latter, a weighted pendulum lever fulcrumed by said cross arm, each eye-lid element having a depending lever arm, and said pendulum lever having 1at erally extending actuator arms to respectively engage said eye-lid element lever arms.

11. In a movable eye structure for dolls, an eye-lid element in the form of a hollow spherical sector, a hollow semi-spherical eyeball element embraced by said eye-lid ele ment, an eye lash means comprising a body strip having eye-lash fringe, said eye-ball element having spaced slots to receive the ends of said body strip, said eye-ball element further having gripping lugs coincident with said slots to grip and retain the ends of said body strip, whereby the latter is concealed between the lower forward marginal portion of said eye-lid element and said eye-ball ele ment, withthe fringe thereof freely projecting beyond the former art.

In testimony, that set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of February, 1932.

DAVID ZAIDEN.

claim the invention 

